Joining XO Group: FAQ

Since our recent announcement that we have become part of XO Group, we’ve had great conversations with our members. From both our photographer and editor communities, we’ve learned and shared so much. Thank you for your questions and thoughts. So that the entire TBL community can benefit from our conversations, a summary follows.

1. Why did Two Bright Lights join XO Group? We are honored to help magnificent content find its way to elite publications that inspire brides, grooms, mothers and more. Our list of product feature improvements is a mile long and to implement them, we needed more resources. XO Group is committed to providing TBL the support we need to offer amazing new features that will be an incredible boost for all members of our community.

2. Why is this good for TBL editorial partners? XO Group is committed to helping all of our editorial partners — big and small, established and new — grow their audience. Soon, vendor profiles on TheKnot.com will include feature links to other Editors’ posts, e.g. “See more exceptional photos on Brides.com, Green Wedding Shoes, Southern Weddings, Munaluchi Bridal, Occasions Magazine….” With over 5 million unique monthly visitors to TheKnot.com, the opportunities for our editorial partners are greatly increased. We are also working on a single image database for editors to feature special collections (with photographer permission). For example, are you looking for a collage of pink hydrangea bouquets? This database will be able to provide relevant search results.

3. How will TBL photographers benefit? From the photographer’s point of view, we know that time is tight and any opportunity to streamline a process is valuable. We’ve heard from many members that the ability to post Real Weddings for editors to browse would be a big time-saver. The good news is that we are working on a product that will allow photographers to include their Real Weddings in an online gallery for editors to browse and publish. We expect to have a prototype in a few months. Also, photographers’ active features will be included in their profiles on TheKnot.com so potential clients can see industry-wide recognition at-a-glance. Lastly, feature opportunities for single images will be made available in a supplemental product.

4. Why did XO Group want TBL to be a part of their organization? Two Bright Lights is a cloud-based software company that has a robust platform for managing millions of images. As XO Group continues to grow (they also own The Bump and The Nest), our technology will provide a way for them to visually support their media products much more efficiently.

5. Will Two Bright Lights play favorites to The Knot advertisers? No, we won’t play favorites. In fact, TBL will continue to be run as a separate group. Just like before, we won’t know who advertises with any of our publication partners. Also, outside of our own blog, TBL will still have no influence on which work will be accepted for publication. Our editorial partners will continue to have full control over which photo submissions to accept. We will continue to help the content move from point A to point B.

6. Will Two Bright Lights increase prices? We have no plans to increase prices on our current packages. We have always been committed to providing a software service at a great value to our members and we will continue to do so.

7. Does this mean that The Knot owns all my photos? No, the photographer always retains copyright. TBL’s terms of service haven’t changed. We are a platform for distribution. Editors are required to get permission to publish images. In our terms of service, photo credit is required and ownership never transfers from the photographer.

8. Will TBL be able to do other partnerships even if it is with a competitor of The Knot? Yes. If we believe it is a good partnership for our members, we have the ability to pursue such partnerships.

9. Will TBL move to NYC? No, our TBL crew will remain in San Francisco in our same office. Do let us know if you are in town. We’d love to meet you.

10. Will Two Bright Lights keep the same name? Yes! Two Bright Lights,TBL,2BL,2BrightLights and any formation of the sort…we are here to stay!Please feel free to share your thoughts. If you have further queries, just let us know. You can reach us any time at support@twobrightlights.com.Cheers!Siri,
CEO/Founder